Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global challenge that disproportionately affects women and girls in low- and middle-income countries and crisis-prone countries. Violence against women is the most prevalent human rights violation in the world.
Storytelling can be powerful in combating gender-based violence, from sparking conversations to influencing behavioral and policy change. However, where social and cultural views are enabling factors, a poorly told story could impede rather than promote progress. In some parts of Africa, violence against women is permitted when viewed as a corrective measure. The acceptance of domestic violence, even among other women, reinforces the cultural norms that drive violence against women. In one country, up to 80% of women believe it is rational to be beaten up by their husbands, provided that there is a specific cause.
While telling the stories of people affected by gender-based violence can promote empathy, telling stories beyond the lens of the victims alone can be more empowering in terms of creating necessary change. Here are three ways to tell better stories to advocate against gender-based violence.
Stories beyond awareness
Many current victims of GBV, for example, do not want the shame that comes with telling their stories and keep quiet even from their closest friends and family members. For some, the risk is isolation.
Understanding these pain points can help us tell stories better. By providing survivors with platforms to tell their stories, we should focus on their victories and their support systems. This will inevitably encourage others to speak up and break the culture of silence. When survivors share information about mechanisms that helped them—civil society organizations, women lawyers, religious organizations, etc.—affected people are able to help. When done right, narrative storytelling approaches and techniques can empower women to speak out when they have experienced GBV. As a result, it is critical to tell survivor stories in a way that puts them in control. Portraying survivors in a way that victimizes them can inadvertently disempower victims and prevent them from breaking the silence.
Most advocates play up the need to raise awareness about gender-based violence while ignoring the bigger picture, which is to end the scourge. Ending the scourge means applying storytelling techniques that center the power of advocacy and the power of communities, encourage active action from bystanders, tackle negative social and behavioral norms, perceptions, and stereotypes, and spotlight the successes of effective government actors and civil society.
“Roadmap to 36,” a long-form case study video we recently produced for our client, Global Citizen, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, highlighted the role of government and civil society champions in combating SGV and presented it as a model pathway towards the domestication of the Violence Against Prohibited Persons Act in every Nigerian state. Watch below.
Stories beyond the pity narrative
Several advocacy groups have often relied on the “pity” narrative to draw attention to gender-based violence. However, portraying women as objects of pity rather than equally empowered people can be harmful and perpetuate the same underlying ideas that enable violence against them. The idea that “women are not strong enough” or that “they need to be protected” is really not empowering. Communicating gender-based violence goes beyond the standard rules of labeling.
It is often said, “Do not say “victims,” instead say “survivors.” However, merely swapping phrases does not undo the damage of negative portrayals of survivors who are being portrayed in bleak circumstances as people who have been tainted and whose entire identity lies in their previous circumstances. Communicating with nuance can be important. It is important to know that our storytelling subjects are humans, advocates, and champions, and not just struggling survivors or “victims.” In our storytelling products, like the one highlighted above, we did not just say “survivors,” but we also included their professions, i.e., “filmmaker” and “hairstylist,” to further define their strengths and abilities. Negative portrayals can reinforce the culture of silence, as other affected individuals would not want to be portrayed in that light.
When telling stories about gender-based violence, it is important to reinforce the actions of the women in standing up to their abusers, the role of the community in enforcing their rights, and the broader resources that were at their disposal. In honoring survivors, it is more important to leave the audience with a feeling of admiration and empowerment than just pity alone, which centers the problems we all already know.
Stories beyond bleak visuals
Visual representation is an often understated but powerful feature of gender-based violence storytelling. Visual portrayals do not just impact gender violence stories on the emotional level; they dabble in the often complex territory of the power dynamics that have shaped the behavior and thinking around the scourge. When telling stories around GBV at Gatefield, we opt for brighter, warmer pictures that portray a more positive and hopeful tone. This does not mean that we downplay the emotions of our subjects, which are also powerful levers. However, we make certain that when creating the balance, we do not film survivors in unfavorable living conditions, and where that is the case, we will aim for the bright outdoors. A similar case must be made for the photographic angles that we adopt as well. For example, our playbook ensures that we film the survivors from an angle that puts them in the center of the screen rather than from angles that diminish them. While it is tempting to use a dark, bleak depiction in telling SGBV stories, as is the case in reality, we need to understand the impact of such bias and how problematic it can be when viewed from an advocacy lens.
This post was written by Nsidibe-Abasi Joy Una, Chief of Staff and Special Initiatives Lead at Gatefield.
